Lubricant cooling device



Aug. 4, 1942. w KQHLMANN 2,291,637 LUBRICANT COOLING DEYICE Filed July28, 1941 INVENTOR wlTN Ess ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 4, 1942 UNITE-DSTATES PATENT OFFICE f. 2,291,637 f LUBmoAN'r COOLING DEVICE y WalterKohlmann, MilwaukeefWls. K

Application July 2s, 1941,'-ser'ia1 No. 404,412

` n l (01.'257-2) I ZCIaims.

Y This invention relates to lubricant cooling, de- I vices, and its`generalobject is to provide an electrical thermostatic device that isprimarily designed for installation in the lubricating system of aninternal combustion engine for the purpose of maintaining the oil atalow operatf, ing temperature, thus prolonging the" lubricatingqual-ities thereof, so as to allow the use of oil of light viscosity, inorder to assure proper lubrication of the'engine and easy startingthereof in coldweathen'but without fear ofthe oil break-- ing down orthinning under the action of heat.

A further object is to'provide' a lubricant cooling device that isVnormally inactive and allows j-oilv at a low temperature to passdirectly therei .v through, but when the'oil reaches a predeterminedhigh temperature, the device is rendered active to divert the oil fromits" regular course, v and directs the same for passage through cool-`ing tubes,"and when the temperature of the oil x again becomesnormalyit is diverted from then cooling tubes back'to its'regularcourse, thus it matelyon line of Figure /1',.looking in the direction ofthe arrows. o Y, Y.

kReferring, to the drawing -indetail, and particularly to Figure 1, itwill be noted tha't my device includes a plurality of verticallyarranged cooling tubes I ilxedv at theirends in openings provided in thehorizontal walls of flat cylindrical upper and lower receptacles 2 and3that provide inlet and outlet chambers for the tubes I. Formed V'on theouter ends ofthe vertical walls of the receptacles are outwardly.directed marginal flanges 4 and 5 and mounted on the `anges aref closureplates 6 andiL-lthe upper yplate 6 having formed onandidepending'fromaicentral opening .thereinI a collar 8 .whichfhas the upper end of adirect flow vtube 9 mountedltherein. The

tube 9 is of `greater diameter'than that of the coolingtubes and extendsthrough the horizontal walls of the receptacle for disposal centrally ofthe groups/.of cooling tubes, andfthe'lower end of the tube 9 is xed tothe lower-plate 1 about an will beseen that my device is entirelyautomatic and is controlled solely by the temperature of the oil toretain the latter at a low temperature underall running conditions ofthe engine.

Another obj ect is to provide a lubricant cooling device that can beinstalled in an easyand expeditious mannerand preferably between thecrank case and the outletof the oil pump, and the device vis simple inconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, and extremely eilicient inoperation, use and service.

This invention also consists iny certain othery `features ofconstruction and in the combination and arrangementof 'the severalparts, to be hereopening centrally-arranged therein, with the result -itwill be Aseenthat oil within the upper rel ceptacle 2 can reach thelower receptacle 3 only by passing through the cooling tubes I,'A as thetube 9 extends through the receptacles and has no communicationwhatsoever therewith.

Mounted on the upper closure'platefli is a cap -plate I0 that is securedto the nange 4 by screws mari-.er fully described, ,illustrated 4in theaccompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in theappended-claims.l v v In describing'the invention in. detail, referencewill be had to the accompanying drawing wherein likefjgharacters denotelike or corresponding parts throughout the several views, :rand invwhich:

f Figure lis a `vertical sectional vview taken through the. device whichformsthe subjectmatter of the present invention. v

that likewise secure the plate 6 to the flange 4, as will be apparent,and formed onv the cap plate III Iand rising therefrom is asubstantially rectangular casing -II having apartition I2 adjacent oneend thereof toprovide a relatively large direct flow chamber I3 ,and aninlet chamber I4. The chamber I3 communicates with the upper end of thetube9 by an opening I5 in the cap plate I0 and the inlet chamber I4communicates with the chamber I3 by a port or opening I6 in the Figure 2is a sectional view taken approxi-4 mately on line 2-2 -of Figure 1,looking in the direction of the arrows. i'

Figure 3 is a. detail fragmentary side elevation illustrating theelectro-magnet for controlling the inlet valve. Y

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken approxipartition I2. Formed on thecasing II and extending from` the inlet chamber I4 is a threaded inletnipplel'l for connection of a pipe or tub-` ing lIl! theretoV forinstalling the device in the lubricating systemof the engine, and thetubing I8 preferably extends from the oil pump.

, Secured to the lower closure plate l by screws threaded in the flange5 is the anged upper end of adepending outlet receptacle I9 havingformed thereon a threaded outlet nipple 20 for connection o'f a pipe 2|thereto that leads to the crank case of the engine, and thepnipple Zisshown as being disp''s'i in parallelism with the inlet nipple Il. Theplate l has an outlet opening 22 therein for communication between'thereceptacles 3 and I9 and fixed to the plate l for lift it to its seat 29to close the passageway 28 to the chamber I3, consequently the oil willthen e pass through the opening .25, the receptacle v2,

Y the cooling tubes I,the.receptacle 3, the opening through the outletnipple 20.

plate 6 to provide an inletfor the upper receptacle. 2 and'registering.with` 'the :opening 25 and formed in thatpo'rtion of the cap plate I0that provides the bottom of the inlet chamber I4 is an opening having avalve seat in the upper edge thereof for a metallic ball valve 26, thevalve 26 being normally arranged on itsseat, as shown in full lines inFigure 1, so that theinlet opening tothe upper receptacle or chamber 2is normally closed. Mounted within the upper portion of the chamber I4is a shelllikemember 21 having a right angle passage\28 therethrough,with the lower end ofthe passage disposed in the path of the ball valve26 and having a seat 29 .for 'receiving the same, while the oppositeendof the passage l28 registers with the port I6.

The member 21 is integral with-the core 39 of n an electro-magnet 3|that is mounted on the top of the casing I I, with the shell memberextending through an opening in the top, as clearly shown in Figure 1,and the coilof the magnetis grounded to the casing II as at 32. 1Suitably secured to one side of the 'casing I is a switch `33 thatincludes a spring arm 34 having one end fixed .to .the inner headed end35 of a binding post 36 that extends'through and is insulated from thewall `31 of theswitch casing, as best shown in Figure 2. 'The oppositeend of the arm 34 is fixedadjacentto `and insulated from one end of athermostatic `or biznetal strip 3B that has Vsecured to its opposite endla right angle member 39 of a .material having Vhigh y heat conductingqualities, such as 'for example copper, and the member 39 extends'intothe casing II for disposal at the inner endof the inlet nipple I1, to bearrangedin the path of Ythe incoming oil, as will be .apparent uponinspection of Figures 1-and 2. Extending through and insulated from thewall 31 is a :binding vpost 40 having a contact head on the inner -end`.thereof for disposal in the path of a contact teat14I on the free endof the .arm l.34. The binding post 36 has a conductor 42 from Vthe coil,connected thereto, and a conductor 43 that extends from a suitablesource of current, is connected to the binding post40.

From the above description and the disclosure in the drawing, itisbelieved'that the operationof my device will be obvious, but it mightbe mentioned that when the ball valve 26 is mounted on its seat in theopening of the cap plate I0, as shown in full lines in Figure 1, the oilis caused to ow through the passage r28, the direct flow chamber` I3,`the tube v9, the receptacle I9, and `thence out .through the nipple 20to the crank case, it being apparent that the oil follows that coursewhen it is -at a normal (140 to 160 F.) operating temperature. However,in the event the temperature of the oil should rise above normal, theheat thereof will be conducted by the member 39 to thestrip 38 and causethe latter to move the contact 4I in engagement with the head of thebinding post to close'the circuit to theV electro-magnet 3| and thusenergize the same, so that the shellllke member 21 will attract the ballvalve 26 and 22, and the receptacle I9, and vfrom the latter After theoil has been cooled to anormal temperature, the switch will open todeenergizethe electro-magnet and the ball 26 will dropby gravityto closethe opening 25;'so that ythe oil will again -iiow normally through -thedevice, with the result it will be seen that my Adevice maintains theoil at a low Aoperating temperature, yto bring kabout theadvantagespreviously set forth.

It is thoughtfrom the foregoing description that the advantages andnovelfeatures of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes rmay be made .in thevconstruction:and in the combinaution and arrangement of vthe several parts, providedthat such-changes fall within the scope of theappendedc'laims.

What I claim is:

1. A lubricant ncooling ,device for the lubricating system of an engine,comprising cooling tubes and a direct flow tube, said tubes beingvertically arranged, upper and lower -chambers `having the lends of thecooling tubes connected thereto for communication therewith and saiddirect flow tube extending through vthe chambers, a Ycasing mounted on.the -upper chamber and having .the direct flow tube vopening therein,said casing communicating with the .upper chamber, `inlet means for thecasing, .a valve Within `the casing for lcontrolling the lpassage oflubricant from the inlet 4means to either the di-` rect flow tube or thecooling tubes, means acted upon by the temperature Vof theflubricantpassing through the inlet Ymeans for `controlling the valve, areceptacle secured to the lower chamber for receiving lubricanttherefrom Vand from `the direct flow tube, and outlet means for thereceptacle.

2. A lubricant cooling device for thelubricat- `ing system of .anengine, comprising Vcooling tubes and a direct flow tube, .said 'tubesbeing vertically arranged, upper and lower ichambers having the endsofjthe cooling tubes connected thereto :for communication therewith...and -said ldirect flow tube vextending through thel chambers, acasing mounted on the rupper chamber,

ya partition dividing the casing into an inlet chamber and a direct flowchamber, the Alatter having the direct vflow :tube .opening therein,said inlet vchamber communicating with said upperchamber yand having avalve seat therein, said partition having ian opening therein, a shelllikemember mounted in said inlet chamber and providing a passageregistering with the opening .of the partition, said shell like .memberbeing 'formed with Va lvalve seat, inlet means for .the casing andopening into said .inlet chamber, a

valve in .said inlet chamber and receivable on either of .the seats forcontrolling the passage of lubricant to the direct iiow chamber and saidupper chamber,`means acted upon by 'the temperature 'of the lubricant.passing through the inlet means for controlling VJthe valve, areceptacle secured to the 'lower vchamber .for receiving lubricanttherefrom and from thedirect flow tube, check valves within thereceptacle, and outlet means for the receptacle.

WALTER -KOHLMANN.

